Rotary perforating device



1968 w. A. SCHLESIN'GER 3,407,691

ROTARY PERFORATING DEVI CE Filed June 1, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WILLIAM A. SCHLESINGER EORNEY 1968 w. A. SCHLESINGER 3,

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ROTARY PERFORATING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 1, 1966 INVENTOR. WILLIAM A. SCHLESINGER TORNEY FIG. 9.

Oct. 29, 1968 w. A. SCHLESINGER ROTARY PERFORATING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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WILLIAM A. SCHLESINGER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,407,691 ROTARY PERFORATIN G DEVICE William A. Schlesinger, Ridgewood, N.J., assignor to William F. Huck, doing business as Huck Company, Montvale, NJ.

Filed June 1, 1966, Ser. No. 554,376 9 Claims. (Cl. 83-344) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rotary perfora-tor capable of selectively forming dilferent patterns in sheet material, as for forming stamps of either standard or commemorative size, is obtained by providing the male cylinder with sets of longer and shorter pins to enter matching die holes which advantageously are punched by these pins in a sheathof the female cylinder, and making one of the cylinders displaceable radially relative to the other, as by eccentric bearing housing turnable by motor devices, so that the longer pins only or all the pins will perforate the material, depending upon the relative position of the cylinders.

This invention relates generally to perforating devices that form patterns-of holes in webs or sheets of paper, cloth, felt, metal foil and the like, for example, in paper webs that have been printed with multiple patterns, as in the case of postage and commercial stamps. I Rotary perforating devices have been provided in which the material to be perforated is passed between coacting rotatable male and female die cylinders respectively provided with patterned arrangements of radially projecting perforating pins and corresponding die holes positioned to receive the pins during rotation of the cylinders. With such existing devices a change in the pattern of perforations to be formed in the material, for example, from the pattern of perforations for standard postage stamps to that for commemorative postage stamps, requires either the use of different perforatingdevices having their perforating pins and die holes arranged for forming the respective patterns, or the replacement of one set of die cylinders by another set of die cylinders, or the removal or addition of perforating pins on the male die cylinder. All of the foregoing means by which the pattern of perforations may be changed are costly and/or time consuming.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a rotary perforating device capable of selectively perforating different patterns in material passed between c-oacting male and female die cylinders without replacement of such cylinders or the removal or addition of perforating pins on the male cylinder.

In accordance with an aspect of this invention, the selective perforating of different patterns is made possible in a rotary perforating device by providing perforating pins of different lengths projecting radially from the male die cylinder while the coacting female die cylinder has die holes therein capable of receiving all of the perforating pins during rotation of the cylinders, and 'means to displace one of the cylinders radially relative to the other between one relative position in which all of the pins are received in die holes of the female cylinder to perforate a pattern in material passing between the cylinders, and another relative position in which only the longer pins are received in such die holes and a different pattern is perforated in the material. Thus, in a rotary perforating device embodying this invention, changing of the pattern of perforations formed in the material is effected simply by radial displacement of one of the die cylinders relative to the other.

Further, in existing rotary perforating devices, difii- "ice why has been experienced in exactly matching the numerous die holes preformed in the female die cylinder with the corresponding perforating pins projecting from the male die cylinder. The failure to attain exact matching of the die holes and perforating pins results in noisy operation of the perforating device, and in rapid wear of the die holes and pins or failure thereof. Mounting groups of the perforating pins and female dies having die holes preformed therein on sectioned support members and individually securing the support member sections to the bodies of the male and female cylinders, as has been done in the past, reduces the costs and time involved in replacing one or several perforating pins or female dies that have worn excessively or been damaged, but does not eliminate the foregoing difficulties. When a support member section is replaced on one cylinder, it is still necessary to effect the critical adjustment thereof for obtaining the best matching possible of its perforating pins or preformed female dies with the corresponding preformed female dies or perforating pins, respectively, on the other cylinder.

The need for exact matching of the perforating pins 'and die holes is particularly acute when relatively deep penetration of the pins into the die holes is desired. Such deep penetration generally improves the quality and uniformity of the perforations, and is inherent when, as described above, the perforating pins are of different lengths and the cylinders are relatively positioned to cause the shorter pins to adequately enter the related die holes so that the longer pins deeply penetrate into the die holes receiving the same.

Accordingly, it is another object of this invention to ensure the exact matching of die holes: in the female die cylinder with the corresponding perforating pins projecting from the male die cylinder.

A further object is to achieve the desired exact matching of the die holes with the perforating pins at relatively low cost and with relatively little labor, both in original or new equipment and in the event of the need for replacement of perforating pins or female dies that have been worn or damaged.

In accordance with this invention, the female die cylinder comprises a support member presenting radial bores respectively in positions to receive the perforating pins carried by the male die cylinder, and a rigid dieforming sheet material, for example, of sheet metal, overlying such bores and being initially imperforate at the locations of the bores and penetrable by the perforating pins by a rotation of the cylinders in working position, whereby the sheet material is provided with die holes exactly matching the respective pins.

For the best performance of this invention, the support member of the female die cylinder is formed in sections having sections of the die-forming sheet material removably bonded thereto and being individually secured to the body of the cylinder to permit individual replacement of the support member sections when made necessary by the condition of the die holes in the sheet material bonded thereto. After such replacement of a support member section, the die-forming sheet material bonded to the new support member section is penetrated by the respective pins by a rotation of the cylinders so that the resulting die holes, thus simply formed, exactly match the pins. Further, the sheet material can be stripped from the removed support member section and replaced on the latter by sheet material which is imperforate at the locations of the bores in the support member section, thereby to permit subsequent reuse of the latter.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a rotary perforating device embodying this invention, and which is shown with a side frame member of the device closest to the viewer partly broken away;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the device, with its die cylinders being shown partly broken away and in axial section;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 33 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken along the line 44 on FIG. 2 show structural features of the male and female die cylinders;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail view of the surface of the female die cylinder;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail view of the surface of the male die cylinder;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view showing the reception of perforating pins projecting from the male die cylinder in die holes of the female die cylinder as viewed along the line 77 on FIG. 5;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are views similar to that of FIG. 7, but showing the male and female die cylinders in other relative positions;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary detail view showing the pattern of perforatings formed in material passed between the die cylinders when the latter are in the relative positions shown on FIG. 7; and

FIG. 11 is a view similar to that of FIG. 10, but showing the pattern of perforations formed in the material when the cylinders are in the relative positions shown on FIG. 8.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, it will be apparent that there are shown only those parts of a rotary perforating device 10 essential to understanding of the present invention, and that such parts are shown in simplified form so as to avoid structural complexities that would obscure the true nature of the invention.

The rotary perforating device 10 is shown applied to the perforating of material in the form of a web W which may be received by perforating device 10 from a printing press (not shown) that applies multiple geometric patterns to the web, as in the case of postage and commercial stamps.

The perforating device 10 is shown to include spaced apart side frame members 11 and 12 between which there are rotatably mounted coacting male and female die cylinders 13 and 14, The printed web W enters between side frame members 11 and 12 from in back of device 10 and travels around a guide roller 15 where the web may be scanned by photoelectric heads (not shown) forming part of a register control system, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Patent N0. 3,097,844, to William F. Huck, and by which the printed web is maintained in proper register with respect to perforating pins provided on male die cylinder 13, as hereinafter described in detail. The web travels upwardly from guide roller 15 between rollers 16 of a lateral tensioning device 17 which may be of the type disclosed in detail in U.S. Patent No. 3,147,898, to William F. Huck, and by which the web is laterally smoothed and tensioned before traveling around female die cylinder 14. The web is held in nonslip engagement with the peripheral surface of female cylinder 14 by a rubber covered roller 18 journalled in arms 19 extending from a shaft 20 which is rotatably supported, at its,,ends, in side frame members 11 and 12. The free ends of arms 19 are pivotally connected, as at 21, to piston rods 22 extending from cylinders 23 carried by brackets 24 extending from the adjacent side frame members. Adjustable stop screw 25 extend threadably through supports 26 above arms 19 and are engageable by the latter for limiting the upward rocking movement of arms 19 when compressed air or other fluid under pressure is suitably supplied to cylinders 23, thereby to adjustably set the contact pressure of roller 18 against the peripheral surface of cylinder 14.

The web travels downwardly from roller 18 and passes under a guide roller 27 (FIG. 1) before exiting rearwardly from the rotary perforating device for travel to the next processing unit, for example, a device which cuts the continuous web into separate sheets.

Rotary perforating device 10 is driven, preferably in synchronism with any processing units acting on the web either before or after the perforating thereof, by a vertical drive shaft 28 having a worm 29 secured thereon and meshing with a worm gear 30 secured on one end of a cross shaft 31 which is journalled in side frame members 11 and 12. The end of shaft 31 remote from worm gear 30 carries a gear 32 meshing with a gear 33 which is secured with respect to female cylinder 14 and meshes, in turn, with a gear 34 secured with respect to male cylinder 13 (FIG. 2). Gear 34 is of a type capable of taking-up any backlash between gears 33 and 34, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,911,847, to William F. Huck, and serves to maintain cylinders 13 and 14 in exact angular alignment or register regardless of changes in the distance between the axial center lines of the cylinders or changes in the contours of the gear teeth due to wear.

Male die cylinder 13 is shown to include a body composed of a cylindrical shell 35 and flanges 36 bolted or otherwise secured to the opposite ends of shell 35 and having centrally located journals 37 projecting axially outward therefrom. Journals 37 are rotatably mounted in bearings 38 carried by eccentric bearing housings 39 which are turnable in side frame members 11 and 12. As shown on FIG. 3, each of eccentric bearing housings 39 has an arm 40 extending radially therefrom and pivotally connected, as at 41, to one end of a link 42 having its other end pivotally connected at 43 to an arm 44 secured on a cross-shaft 45 journalled in side frame members 11 and 12. Shaft 45 is turnable by arms 46 secured thereon adjacent the side frame members and being pivotally connected, as at 47, to forked couplings 48 carried by piston rods 49 extending from cylinders 50 (FIGS. 2 and 3). Cylinders 50 are carried by brackets 51 extending from the adjacent side frame members so that, When compressed air or other fluid under pressure is suitably supplied to cylinders 50 to either retract or extend piston rods 49, shaft 45 is turned and, by reason of the described connections between shaft 45 and eccentric bearing housings 39, the latter are also turned to radially displace cylinder 13 relative to cylinder 14, that is, to either increase or decrease the distance between the axial center lines of the cylinders for a purpose hereinafter described in detail.

As shown particularly on FIGS. 4 and 6, male die cylinder 13 further includes elongated pin-holding plates 52 which are arcuate in lateral cross-section to fit against the peripheral surface of shell 35. Plates 52 extend axially on cylinder 13 and may be of a length approximately one half of the axial length of shell 35 so that two of plates 52 are accommodated end-to-end on the surface of the shell, as on FIG. 6. Each plate 52 has a lateral dimension which is an aliquot part of the circumference of shell 35, so that plates 52 can be arranged edge-toedge circumferentially around the shell. Each plate 52 is removably secured to shell 35 by bolts 53 and is accurately located with respect to the shell by dowel pins 54 (FIG. 4).

Each plate 52 has bores 55 (FIG. 7) extending therethrough in patterned arrangements corresponding to the patterns of perforations to be formed in web W, and the end portion of each bore 55 opening at the surface of plate 52 that seats against shell 35 is counter-bored or enlarged, as at 56.

Bores 55 of each plate 52 receive perforating pins which, in accordance with this invention, consist of groups of relatively long perforating pins 57a and 57b and groups or relatively shorter perforating pins 57c (FIGS. 4 and 6 to 9). Each of the pins has a head 58, at its inner end, which is received in the counter-bore or en- :largement 56 of the respective bore 55. Thus, when each plate 52 is secured on shell 35, pins 57a, 57b and 570 extend radially outward through the respective bores 55 and are held against outward removal by their heads 58, while radially inward movement of the pins is prevented by engagement of their heads with the surface of shell 35. As shown on FIGS. 6-9, the relatively longer pins 57a and 57b thus held in each plate 52 project further beyond the outer surface of the plate than the relatively shorter pins-57c.

When the perforating device in accordance with this invention is to be used for perforating postage or commercial stamps of two different sizes, for example standard postage stamps and commemorative stamps, as in the device 10 illustrated in the drawings, the longer pins 57a and 57b are respectively arranged in spaced apart rows extending circumferentially on cylinder 13 and in spaced apart rows extending orthogonally with respect to the rows of pins 57a, that is, axially on cylinder 13, and therelatively shorter pins 570 are arranged in rows that are parallel to, and disposed midway between the successive rows of longer pins 57b. The spacing of the rows of pins 57a 57b and 570 is such that, when all of the pins are operative to perforate web W, as hereinafter described, the resulting pattern of perforations 59a, 59b and 59c (FIG. 10) formed in the web corresponds to that for standard postage stamps; where- 'as, when only the longer pins 57a and 57b are operative to perforate the web, the resulting pattern of perforations -59a and 59b (FIG. 11) corresponds to that for commemorative stamps.

The lateral or circumferential dimension of each plate 52 is preferably equal to the extent, in the direction along web W, of a whole number of standard postage stamps and, as shown on FIG. 6, the axially directed rows of pins 57b and 57s are arranged on each plate 52 to provide the perforations for one or more whole standard stamps, for example, three whole standard stamps, as shown, and for one-half of a standard stamp adjacent each longitudinal edge of the plate. The circumferentially directed rows of pins 57a are arranged so that the row f pins57a closest to the inner end edge of plate 52 is spaced therefrom by a distance equal to one-half the Width of a standard stamp. Thus, although the perforating pins are carried by separate plates 52 individually secured to shell 35, such pins can form a perforating pattern, as on FIG. 10, that is not interrupted at the abutting longitudinal and inner end edges of the pin-holding plates.

The female die cylinder 14 has die holes 60 (FIGS. 4, and 8) provided therein, preferably as hereinafter described in detail, and positioned so as to be capable of receiving all of perforating pins 57a, 57b and 57c during rotation of cylinders 13 and 14.

It will be apparent that, where cylinder 13 is radially positioned relative to cylinder 14, as shown on FIG. 7, so that all of pins 57a, 57b and 57c can extend into the corresponding die holes 60 of cylinder 14 during rotation of the cylinders, a pattern of perforations suitable, for example, for standard stamps, as shown on FIG. 10, will be formed in the web passing between the cylinders as a result of the coaction of all of the perforating pins with die holes. However, when cylinder 13 is displaced radially away from cylinder 14, in the manner previously described, to the relative position shown on FIG. 8 so that only longer pins 57a and 57b extend into the corresponding die holes during rotation of the cylinders, a different pattern, for example, the pattern of perforations for commemorative stamps, as shown on FIG. 11, will be formed in the web as a result of the coaction of only pins 57a and 57b with die holes 60.

Although the patterns of perforations formed in the web when cylinders 13 and 14 are in the relative positions of FIGS. 7 and 8 are shown on FIGS. 10 and 11, re spectively, in the illustrated device 10, it is apparent that the patterns of perforations thus selectively obtained can be varied, at will, merely by altering the positions of the relatively larger and shorter perforating: pins on the male cylinder.

In order to conveniently establish the relative positions of cylinders 13 and 14 for selectively forming one or the other of the perforating patterns, device 10* further includes a pattern selector shaft 61 (FIGS. 2 and 3) extending laterally between, and journalled in side frame members 11 and 12 so as to be disposed under couplings 48 on the lower ends of piston rods 49. Extending radially from shaft 61, adjacent each of side frame members 11 and 12, are two right angularly related stop members 62 and 63 which have different radial dimensions and are selectively disposablein the path of downward movement of the adjacent coupling 48 by turning of shaft 61. One end of shaft 61. has secured thereon a. crank-handle 64 by which shaft 61 can be manually turned, and handle 64 carries a spring loaded locking pin 65 (FIG. 2) which is releasably engageable in one or the other of two holes 66a and 66b (FIG. 3) formed in adjacent side frame member 12. Hole 66a is located so that, when pin 65 is engaged therein, as shown on FIG. 3, stop members 62 are disposed at the top shaft 61 to stop the downward movement of couplings 48 in response to the suitable admission of compressed air into cylinders 50- with cylinders 13 and 14 in the relative positions shown on FIG. 7, thereby to engage all of the perforating pins with die holes. Hole 6611 is located so that, when shaft 61 is turned and pin 65 engages in hole 66b, stop members 63 are at the top of the selector shaft and thereby stop the downward movement of couplings 48 with the cylinders in the relative positions shown on FIG. 8, whereby only the longer perforating pins are engageable in die holes and the shorter pins are sufficiently spaced from the surface of female cylinder 14 to permit the web to pass therebetween without being affected by such shorter pins.

Thus, pattern selector shaft 61, when in the position shown on FIG. 3, establishes the relative positions of cylinders 13 and 14 for the perforating of standard postage stamps, and turning of shaft 61 to the position where stop members 63 are directed upwardly therefrom establishes the relative positions of cylinders 13 and 14 for the perforating of commemorative stamps. It is apparent that such change in the perforating pattern can be effected rapidly, and without requiring the removal or addition of perforating pins, or the exchange of perforating cylinders.

In order to prevent hang-up of the web on any of the perforating pins during withdrawal of the letters from die holes coacting therewith to form perforations, compressible resilient pads 67 (FIGS. 4 and 6) of rubber or the like are adhesively secured to the outer surfaces of plates 52 between the rows of pins 57a, 57 b and 57c. Pads 67 are preferably arranged in a checkerboard pattern, as shown on FIG. 6, so that a minimum number of the pads are required to provide edges thereof extending along all of the rows of pins. The thickness of resilient pads 67 is greater than the spacing between the outer surfaces of plates 52 and the peripheral surfaces of cylinder 14 in all operative relative positions of the cylinders, that is the relative positions shown on FIGS 7 and 8. Thus, in either of the operative relative positions of the cylinders, each pad 67 is compressed in passing the region of minimum clearance between the outer surfaces of plates 52 and the peripheral surface of cylinder 14, at which perforating of the web is effected, and, as the pad moves away from that region, it returns to its original thickness and removes the web from the adjacent pins that have perforated the web.

As shown on FIG. 2, female die cylinder 14 preferably has the same effective outer diameter as cylinder 13, and also includes a body composed of a cylindrical 7 shell 68 and flanges 69 secured to the ends of the shell and having central journals 70 projecting axially outward therefrom to be rotatably mounted in bearings carried by side frame members 11 and 12. Cylinder 14 further includes a support member formed in elongated segments or sections 71 which are arcuate in lateral crosssection to fit against the outer surface of shell 68 (FIGS. 4 and 7 to 9). The support member sections 71 may have dimensions, in the directions of their length and width, that correspond to the similar dimension of pinholding plates 52 and are similarly individually secured to shell 68 by bolts 72 and locating dowel pins 73 (FIG. 4).

In accordance with this invention, support member sections 71 have radial bores 74 respectively positioned to receive perforating pins 57a, 57b and 57c during rotation of cylinders 13 and 14. Such bores 74 are preferably of larger diameter than the perforating pins so as to loosely receive the latter when the pins penetrate die holes 60 punched through rigid die-forming sheet material 75 secured on the outer surface of each support member section 71.

The die-forming sheet material 75 may be, for example, a thin stainless or blue tempered spring steel which is removably bonded to the outer surface of each support member section 71, as by adhesive, solder, braze or the like, over at least those portions of the support member section having the bores 74 therein. As shown, the dieforming sheet material 75 on each section 71 may be substantially coextensive therewith, so that, when support member sections 71 are secured on shell 68, sheet material 75 constitutes a sheath forming the peripheral surface of female cylinder 14.

Initially, sheet material 75 on each section 71 is imperforate at the locations of bores 74, as shown on FIG. 9, and such sheet material 75 is penetrable by perforating pins 57a, 57b and 570, which preferably have hardened tips for that purpose.

In accordance with this invention, support member sections 71 having sheet mate-rial 75 that is imperforate at the locations of bores 74 are secured on the body of female cylinder 14, and male cylinder 13 is then radially displaced to the relative position shown on FIG. 7 so that, by a rotation of cylinders 13 and 14, all of perforating pins 57a, 57b and 570 penetrate or punch through die-forming sheet material 75 to form the die-holes 60 therein in exactly matching or mating relation to the respective pins.

Since die-holes 60 are not pre-formed in sheet material 75, but rather are formed by the perforating pins after mounting of support member sections 71 on the body of cylinder 14, as described above, there is no need to effect accurate or critical adjustment of sections 71 during their mounting on the cylinder body. The oversize bores 74 in sections 71 ensure that the perforating pins penetrating sheet material 75 will be received in bores 74 without interference even in the absence of critical adjustment of the positioning of sections 71 on shell 68. Further, the oversize bores 74 permit the metal punched out of sheet material 75 by the perforating pins to pass freely therethrough into undercut peripheral portions 76 of windows 77 in each section 71 (FIG. 4). When sheet material 75 is coextensive with each section 71, such sheet material is also formed with windows 78 (FIG. registering with windows 77 of the support member sections. As the windows 77 and 78 move along the bottom of cylinder 14, the pieces of metal punched from sheet material 75 fall through the windows and are thus removed from cylinder 14.

After die holes 60 have been formed in sheet material 75 by the perforating pins, device is in condition to perforate web W. The web is first led around female cylinder 14 with the cylinders in the relative position shown on FIG. 9. Then fluid under pressure is supplied to cylinders 23 to cause roller 18 to press the web into non-slip engagement with the peripheral surface of cylinder 14. Finally, with device 10 running and with {pattern selector shaft 61 set for the desired pattern of perforations, fluid under pressure is supplied to cylinders 50 for displacing cylinder 13 to the selected operative position relative to cylinder 14, whereby either all the perforating pins or only the longer perforating pins coact with die holes to perforate the desired pattern in the web. The chad or pieces punched from the web fall through bores 74 into the undercut windows 77 of support member sections 71.

In order to assist the removal of chad from windows 77 at the bottom of cylinder 14, a plurality of parallel tubes 79 (FIGS. 1 and 2) extend axially below cylinder 14 and have holes or nozzles opening upwardly to direct air blasts through die holes 60 and bores 74 and into windows 77 and 78 for loosening the chad accumulated therein. The tubes 79 are supported by the side walls of a box 80 having an opening at the top which receives the lower portion of the surface of cylinder 14. Tubes 79 are connected to a manifold 81 from which a line 82 extends to a source of compressed air. Box 80 has its interior connected to a source of vacuum, as at 83 (FIG. 2), so that the chad loosened by the air blasts from tubes 79 is drawn off into vacuum box 80.

The perforated web travels over the rear wall of vacuum box 80 between rollers 18 and 27, and such rear wall is provided with slots (not shown) through which vacuum can act on the perforated web to remove any stray chad adhering to the web.

If any of the perforating pins are worn or damaged, the plate or plates 52 holding such pins are removed from cylinder 13 and the worn or damaged pins are replaced therein. When each plate 52 is again secured on shell 35 of cylinder 13 at the position determined by locating dowel pins 54, the replaced pins necessarily match exactly with the respective die holes 60 of the female cylinder. If any of the die holes 60 become worn, the respective support member section 71 is removed from cylinder 14 and replaced by another section 71 having sheet material thereon that is imperforate at the location of its bores 74. The previously described procedure for forming die holes 60 is then repeated so that die holes 60 are punched in sheet material 75 of the replaced section to exactly match the perforating pins forming the die holes. A support member section 71 removed from from cylinder 14 can have the worn sheet material 75 stripped therefrom and replaced by new sheet material that is imperforate at the locations of bores 74. Thus, any support member section 71 removed from cylinder 14 can be subsequently reused as a replacement for a later removed section.

The described arrangement and method by which die holes 60 in female cylinder 14 are made to exactly match perforating pins of male cylinder 13 are particularly advantageous in the case of a device for selectively perforating different patterns in the web. In such perforating device, the relatively longer pins 57a and 57b must penetrate relatively large distances through the respective die holes when cylinders 13 and 14 are relatively positioned, as on FIG. 7, to cause coaction of all of the perforating pins with die holes. Since die-forming sheet material 75 is thin and bores 74 in the support for sheet material 75 are of larger diameter than the pins, the deeply penetrating longer pins 570 and 57b can be angularly displaced in bores 74 as the pins move through the relatively large angle of rotation of cylinder 13 in which the deeply penetrating pins engage the respective die holes.

However, the described arrangement and method by which die holes 60 are made in the female cylinder to exactly match the perforating pins of the male cylinder may also be advantageously employed in any other rotary perforating devices, for example, those capable of forming only a single pattern of perforations in the web. In all cases, the exact match of the die holes with the perforating pins decreases the noise of operation, permits deep penetration of the pins through the die holes for reliable perforating, and reduces the rate of wear of the pins and female dies. Further, in all cases the easy replacement of worn or damaged perforating pins or female dies, as described above, reduces the cost of, and the shut-down time required for such replacement.

Although an illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to that precise embodiment, and that various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rotary perforating device, the combination of coacting male and female die cylinders rotatable about parallel axes, said male die cylinder having perforating pins projecting radially therefrom in groups corresponding to desired patterns of perforations, the pins of one of said groups being longer than pins of another of said groups, said female die cylinder having therein die holes capable of receiving all of said perforating pins during rotation of the cylinders, and means to displace one of said cylinders radially relative to the other between relative positions thereof in one of which positions all of said pins are received in die holes of said female cylinder to perforate a pattern in material passing between the cylinders, and in another of which positions only said longer pins are received in such die holes and a different pattern is perforated in the material.

2. In a rotary perforating device, the combination according to claim 1, said female cylinder comprising a support member presenting radial bores respectively in positions to receive said pins during rotation of the cylinders and a rigid die-forming sheet material overlying said bores and being punched through by said pins during a rotation of said cylinders in said one relative position to define said die holes in exactly matching relation to said perforating pins.

3. In a rotary perforating device, the combination according to claim 1, said bores being of larger diameter than said pins.

4. In a rotary perforating device, the combination according to claim 1, said female cylinder having a sheath of thin sheet metal forming its peripheral surface and underlaid by a support member presenting radial bores respectively in positions to receive said pins during rotation of the cylinders, and said die holes being punched through said sheath by said perforating pins so as to match exactly therewith.

5. In a rotary perforating device, the combination according to claim 4, said female die cylinder including a body, said sheath consisting of sections and said support member also consisting of sections having corresponding sections of said sheath secured thereto, and releasable means individually attaching said sections of the support member to said body to permit individual replacement of each of said sections of the support member when required by the condition of the section of the sheath secured thereto.

6. In a rotary perforating device, the combination according to claim 5, each of said sections of the sheath being removably bonded to the corresponding section of said support member to permit replacement of the sheath section on the support member section and reuse of the latter.

7. In a rotary perforating device, the combination according to claim 1, said means to displace said one cylinder relative to the other including eccentric bearing housings having said one cylinder journalled therein, means operative to turn said bearing housings for changing said relative positions of the cylinders, and stop means displaceable to selectively limit the turning of said bearing housings at positions corresponding respectively to said one relative position and said other relative position of said cylinders.

8. In a rotary perforating device, the combination according to claim 7, said means operative to turn the bearing housings including fluid pressure operated cylinders and connecting means movable by said cylinders to turn said bearing housings, and said stop means includes a turnable shaft having angularly spaced stop elements projecting radially therefrom difiierent distances and being selectively disposable in the path of movement of said connecting means to correspondingly limit the movement of the latter in the direction for displacing said one cylinder radially toward said other cylinder.

9. In a rotary perforating device, the combination according to claim 1, said one group of longer pins being arranged in parallel spaced rows extending in the axial and circumferential directions on said male cylinder, and said other group of pins being arranged in rows which extend in one of said directions and which are interposed between the rows of said longer pins extending in said one direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,485,782 3/1924 Fischer 83---670 1,984,737 12/1934 Gerster 83-345X 2,085,864 7/1937 Lindbom 76-107 2,860,707 11/1958 Lake et a1 83345X 3,064,511 11/1962 Allander 83-13 ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner. 

